Holding the nuclear-armed States to account in the International Court of Justice

Associate tenant Professor Nick Grief is a member of the legal team representing the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in its actions against the United Kingdom and the other 8 nuclear-armed States before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The RMI's Applications, which were filed at the ICJ on 24 April, allege a breach of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968 and of customary international law on account of the failure to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control. The actions follow up the ICJ's advisory opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons (1996) in which the Court unanimously held that there is such an obligation. The RMI is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.

Nick, who teaches international law at the University of Kent, was brought in as Counsel by Keller Rohrback LLP, the US law firm acting for the RMI which has filed related proceedings against the United States in the US Federal District Court in San Francisco. He was closely involved in the World Court Project which led to the ICJ's advisory opinion, and gave evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee on the legal implications of the White Paper on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent.

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